Hand-Held Device

1. A handheld computing device structured to include a telephone component, comprising: a display screen; a keyboard comprising a plurality of keys distributed along at least three rows of keys, wherein a subset of the plurality of keys provides a primary character value and a secondary value; wherein the first of the three rows of keys includes successive primary values “Q”, “W”, “E”, “R”, “T”, and “Y”, and wherein the subset includes secondary values “1” through “9” so that the subset is arranged in a touch-tone telephone keypad arrangement, the keys in the telephone keypad arrangement having a common visual characteristic distinct from the keys not in the telephone keypad arrangement, the secondary values “1”, “2”, and “3” being in the first of the three rows of keys, the secondary values “4”, “5”, and “6” being in a second of the three rows of keys, and the secondary values “7”, “8”, and “9” being in a third of the three rows of keys, each secondary value associated with a key including a primary value; and wherein the keyboard also comprises an option key configured to set the keyboard in one of a plurality of states, a first state corresponding to a single use of a secondary value in the touch-tone telephone keypad arrangement, a second state corresponding to consecutive use of any secondary values in the touch-tone telephone keypad arrangement, and a third state corresponding to use of only primary values in the touch-tone telephone keypad arrangement; and wherein in response to execution of the telephone component, the keyboard is set to the second state for use of the secondary values of the keys in the telephone keypad arrangement.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein a key having a secondary value of “0” is in a fourth row of keys.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein one of the at least three rows of keys of the keyboard includes a key representing at least one of the “*” value and the “#” value next to a key of the telephone keypad arrangement.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the option key is positioned in one of the three rows of keys.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein each primary value corresponds to a separate key.

6. In a computing device comprising a data entry component and a telephone component, the device having a long axis and a short axis within a plane, a keyboard comprising: a plurality of keys arranged in a configuration having key rows oriented perpendicularly with respect to the long axis of the device, one of the key rows comprising successive keys representing the letters Q, W, E, R, T, and Y; wherein the plurality of keys comprises at least nine multi-value keys, each multi-value key associated with at least a primary value and a numeric secondary value, the at least nine multi-value keys having a common visual characteristic and being arranged to form part of the configuration, the at least nine multi-value keys further being arranged in a telephone keypad arrangement, the keys in the configuration comprising at least one key not having the common visual characteristic of the at least nine multi-value keys; wherein the plurality of keys further comprises an option key configured to set the plurality of keys in one of a plurality of states, a first state corresponding to a single use of a numeric secondary value of a multi-value key, a second state corresponding to consecutive use of any numeric secondary value of the multi-value keys, and a third state corresponding to use of only the primary value of the multi-value key; and wherein in response to activation of the telephone component, the at least nine multi-value keys initially set to the second state and operable as touch-tone keys.

7. The keyboard of claim 6 , wherein the at least nine multi-value keys are arranged in at least three rows, each row comprising at least three multi-value keys.

8. The keyboard of claim 7 , wherein the at least three rows comprise: a first row comprising multi-value keys associated with numeric values of 1, 2, and 3; a second row comprising multi-value keys associated with numeric values of 4, 5, and 6; and a third row comprising multi-value keys associated with numeric values of 7, 8, and 9.

9. The keyboard of claim 8 , further comprising a tenth multi-value key associated with at least a primary value and a numeric secondary value of 0, wherein the tenth multi-value key is arranged in a fourth row.

10. The keyboard of claim 7 , wherein the at least three rows comprise: a first row comprising multi-value keys associated with at least three primary values selected from the group consisting of Q, W, E, R, T, Y, U, I, O, and P, and further associated with numeric values of 1, 2, and 3; a second row comprising multi-value keys associated with at least three primary values selected from the group consisting of A, S, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, and “;”, and further associated with numeric values of 4, 5, and 6; and a third row comprising alphabetic/numeric multi-value keys associated with at least three primary values selected from the group consisting of Z, X, C, V, B, N, M, “,”, and “.”, and further associated with numeric values of 7, 8, and 9.

11. The keyboard of claim 7 , wherein the at least three rows comprise: a top row comprising multi-value keys associated with numeric values of 1, 2, and 3; a middle row comprising multi-value keys associated with numeric values of 4, 5, and 6; and a bottom row comprising multi-value keys associated with numeric values of 7, 8, and 9.

12. The keyboard of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of keys further comprises at least one additional multi-value key associated with at least a primary value and a secondary value, the additional multi-value key being arranged to form part of the configuration, the at least one additional multi-value key further being arranged in a fourth row, so that the at least nine multi-value keys and the at least one additional multi-value keys collectively emulate a telephone keypad arrangement.

13. The keyboard of claim 12 , wherein the at least one additional multi-value key is associated with a numeric value of 0.

14. The keyboard of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of keys further comprises at least three additional multi-value keys, each associated with at least a primary value and a secondary value, the at least three additional multi-value keys being arranged to form part of the configuration, the at least three additional multi-value keys further being arranged in a fourth row, so that the at least nine multi-value keys and the at least three additional multi-value keys collectively emulate a telephone keypad arrangement.

15. The keyboard of claim 14 , wherein the at least three rows comprise: a first row comprising multi-value keys associated with numeric values of 1, 2, and 3; a second row comprising multi-value keys associated with numeric values of 4, 5, and 6; and a third row comprising multi-value keys associated with numeric values of 7, 8, and 9; and wherein the fourth row comprises multi-value keys associated with secondary values of “*”, “0” and “#”.

16. The keyboard of claim 14 , wherein the at least three rows comprise: a top row comprising multi-value keys associated with numeric values of 1, 2, and 3; a second row, below the top row, comprising multi-value keys associated with numeric values of 4, 5, and 6; and a third row, below the second row, comprising multi-value keys associated with numeric values of 7, 8, and 9; and wherein a fourth row, located below the third row, comprises multi-value keys associated with secondary values of “*”, “0” and “#”.

17. The keyboard of claim 6 , wherein the at least nine multi-value keys comprise: at least one selected from the group consisting of: a key associated with a primary value of Y and a numeric value of 1, a key associated with a primary value of U and a numeric value of 2, and a key associated with a primary value of I and a numeric value of 3; at least one selected from the group consisting of: a key associated with a primary value of H and a numeric value of 4, a key associated with a primary value of J and a numeric value of 5, and a key associated with a primary value of K and a numeric value of 6; and at least one selected from the group consisting of: a key associated with a primary value of B and a numeric value of 7, a key associated with a primary value of N and a numeric value of 8, and a key associated with a primary value of M and a numeric value of 9.

18. The keyboard of claim 17 , further comprising a multi-value key associated with at least a numeric value of 0.

19. In a computing device structured to include a data entry operation and a telephone operation, the device having, within a plane, a long axis and a short axis, a keyboard comprising: a plurality of keys arranged in a configuration having key rows oriented perpendicularly with respect to the long axis of the device, one of the key rows comprising successive keys representing the letters Q, W, E, R, T, and Y; wherein the plurality of keys comprises at least ten multi-value keys, each of the at least ten multi-value keys being associated with at least a primary value and a secondary value, the at least ten multi-value keys having a common visual characteristic and being arranged in at least four rows, wherein at least three of the at least four rows each comprise at least three multi-value keys, the keys in the configuration comprising at least one key not having the common visual characteristic of the at least ten multi-value keys; wherein the plurality of keys further comprises an option key configured to set the at least ten multi-value keys in one of a plurality of states, a first state corresponding to a single use of a secondary value of a multi-value key, a second state corresponding to consecutive use of any secondary value of the multi-value keys, and a third state corresponding to use of only the primary values of a multi-value key; and wherein in response to use of the telephone operation, the at least nine multi-value keys initially set to the second state and operable as a touch-tone keys.

20. The keyboard of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of keys arranged in the configuration further comprises at least one multi-value key associated with at least a primary value and a non-alphabetic non-numeric secondary value.

21. The keyboard of claim 20 , wherein the at least ten multi-value keys are visually distinguishable from the at least one multi-value key associated with a non-alphabetic non-numeric secondary value.

22. The keyboard of claim 19 , wherein the keyboard is horizontally centered about the long axis of the device.

23. The keyboard of claim 22 , wherein the at least nine multi-value keys form a block that is not horizontally centered about the long axis of the device.

24. The keyboard of claim 19 , wherein the keyboard is positioned on a front face of the device that also includes a plurality of navigation controls positioned symmetrically about the long axis of the device.

25. In a computing device comprising a telephone component configured to establish a telephone call, a keyboard comprising: a plurality of keys arranged in a configuration of a plurality of rows, one of the rows comprising successive keys having represented thereon the letters Q, W, E, R, T, and Y; wherein the plurality of keys comprises at least nine multi-value keys arranged within three rows of the plurality of rows, each of the at least nine multi-value keys being associated with at least a primary value and a numeric secondary value, the at least nine multi-value keys having a common visual characteristic and being arranged to form part of the configuration, the at least nine multi-value keys further being arranged in a telephone keypad arrangement, the keys in the configuration comprising at least one key not having the common visual characteristic of the at least nine multi-value keys; wherein the plurality of keys further comprises an option key configured to set the plurality of keys in one of a plurality of states, a first state corresponding to a single use of a numeric secondary value of a multi-value key, a second state corresponding to consecutive use of any numeric secondary value of the multi-value keys, and a third state corresponding to use of only the primary value of the multi-value key; and wherein in response to activation of the telephone component, the least nine multi-value keys configured to activate the numeric secondary value.

26. The keyboard of claim 25 , wherein the at least three rows comprise: a top row comprising multi-value keys associated with numeric values of 1, 2, and 3; a second row, below the top row, comprising multi-value keys associated with numeric values of 4, 5, and 6; and a third row, below the second row, comprising multi-value keys associated with numeric values of 7, 8, and 9.

27. The keyboard of claim 25 , wherein the at least three rows further comprises a fourth row, located below the third row, the fourth row comprising multi-value keys associated with secondary values of “*”, “0” and “#”.

28. The keyboard of claim 25 , wherein the keyboard is structured below a display in a same plane as the display.

29. The keyboard of claim 25 , wherein the each key of the at least nine multi-value keys includes a numerical value and at least one non-numerical character.

30. The keyboard of claim 25 , wherein the each key of the at least nine multi-value keys includes a numerical value and at least one alphabet letter.